Red Cross helps 163 in county with flood relief

Megan E. Bloom

Reporter

mbloom@sungazette.com

The North Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Red Cross assisted 163 people in Lycoming County who were affected by the flood in October.

Of 70 disaster cases in the county, 65 were related to the flood while five were fires, according to Ian Wallace, executive coordinator for the Mid-Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the Red Cross.

After the flood Oct. 21, disaster action teams from the organization went out in pairs to assess damaged property and speak with homeowners to see if they needed financial assistance, Wallace said.

If a family is left displaced, the organization will give them a debit card that usually has a couple hundred dollars on it to get a room in a hotel for as many nights as they need, he said.

The amount of money a family receives depends on how many people there are, how many nights they will need to stay in a hotel, whether they can return to their home and whether it is a weekend or weekday due to the change in prices, he said.

Families also receive a cleanup kit that includes bleach, a mop, large broom, scrub brush, sponge, bucket and gloves, Wallace said.

“A lot of people’s basements get flooded and a lot of people keep (cleaning supplies) in their basement,” he said. “It’s good to have some extra help and have one less thing to think about.”

Twenty-seven individuals were affected by the flood in Sullivan County, three in Bradford County and one in Clinton County.

Also in its October review, the Red Cross reported:

• Total disaster cases (flood and non-food) and the number of people who were assisted: Bradford, two cases and five individuals; Northumberland, three cases and eight individuals; Snyder, three cases and six individuals; Tioga, four cases and nine.